Google Earth lookdown at site of the Villa Savoye, at center. (Misfits’ Architecture)
Villa Savoye, in France. (Archikey.com)
In the center of the photo above is the Villa Savoye, possibly the most famous work of Le Corbusier, the most influential of modern architecture’s founders. He inspired so much of the poor quality and deadening allure of the built environment in the world today. “The Darker Side of the Villa Savoye” is from the really marvelous blog Misfits’ Architecture, superintended by Graham McKay. I am not absolutely certain that the post is by him. It merely compiles the flaws of the building according to letters of complaint from the client (the Savoye family) to the architect, Monsieur Le Corbusier. In sum, it rained a lot inside the house. So instead of calling it a “machine for living in,” we should call it a “machine for swimming in.” Make sure you read the comments. They are hilarious.
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About David Brussat
This blog was begun in 2009 as a feature of the Providence Journal, where I was on the editorial board and wrote a weekly column of architecture criticism for three decades. Architecture Here and There fights the style wars for classical architecture and against modern architecture, no holds barred.
History Press asked me to write and in August 2017 published my first book, "Lost Providence." I am now writing my second book.
My freelance writing on architecture and other topics addresses issues of design and culture locally and globally.
I am a member of the board of the New England chapter of the Institute of Classical Architecture & Art, which bestowed an Arthur Ross Award on me in 2002.
I work from Providence, R.I., where I live with my wife Victoria, my son Billy and our cat Gato.
If you would like to employ my writing and editing to improve your work, please email me at my consultancy, dbrussat@gmail.com, or call 401.351.0457.
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- Nikos Salingaros, mathematician at the University of Texas, architectural theorist and author of many books.
Architecture Here and There 
I really only appreciated Le Corbusier once I bought his chaise longue, patterned after the tile bench in the bathroom. You can only sit in one position, and after about 20 minutes, it is no longer possible to be comfortable. You then need to extricate yourself from your position near the floor. It does make a nice sculpture, though.
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